Discovering Namibia Through Our Eyes: A Journey Through Ancient Wonders and Untamed Beauty

The launch of our rewards programme, Leisure Club embodies our deepest conviction that every traveller deserves to experience Namibia's extraordinary beauty without compromise. When we offer our members savings on accommodation and select dining across our properties, we provide value and remove barriers that might prevent someone from discovering what we believe to be one of the world's most magnificent destinations. This initiative stems from a personal passion that has driven part of my life's work: sharing Namibia's unparalleled wonders with as many people as possible, whether they're fellow Namibians, our African neighbours or visitors from across the globe.

This passion aligns perfectly with the growing global recognition of our remarkable destination. The numbers tell a compelling story of Namibia's rising prominence on the global stage. With international tourism reaching 1.4 billion travellers worldwide in 2024 and Namibia experiencing a remarkable 87.4% increase in international visitors in 2023, our country is clearly capturing the imagination of refined travellers. Our tourism sector now employs over 100,000 Namibians and contributes 6.9% to our GDP, demonstrating that this sector, while showcasing our country’s beauty, also builds sustainable prosperity for our people and preserves what makes Namibia truly special.

Through our Leisure Club, we invite you to see Namibia through our eyes, a perspective shaped by decades of exploring every corner of this remarkable land and understanding its most beautiful secrets. Our six unique properties and destinations- Strand Hotel Swakopmund, Mokuti Etosha, Midgard Otjihavera Windhoek, Chobe Water Villas Zambezi, Le Mirage and Divava, have been carefully chosen for their luxury offerings and their ability to reveal different facets of Namibia's character. From the astounding Sossusvlei region with its towering red dunes and the scenic Chobe and Kavango Rivers where wildlife gathers at the water’s edge to the magic mountains of Otjihavera and the world-renowned Etosha Pan, each location offers our members access to experiences that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else on Earth.

As Leisure Club members discover Namibia through our eyes, it becomes clear that our breathtaking landscapes are, amongst others, part of our country’s magical offerings. From our Strand Hotel Swakopmund, guests can experience the world's oldest desert, the Namib, where 80-million-year-old sands meet the Atlantic Ocean and where ancient Welwitschia mirabilis plants have survived in this extraordinary landscape for up to 2,000 years. Our Swakopmund location also provides access to the dramatic Skeleton Coast, which presents an endless expanse of dunes meeting the Atlantic, scattered with shipwrecks, a coastline so dramatic and unforgiving it's known as the world's largest gravesite for sailors and ships. Then there are the star-shaped dunes of Sossusvlei which reach 325 meters into the sky, creating an alien and beautiful landscape that our Le Mirage property provides perfect access to explore.

More of Namibia's magic lies in its wildlife conservation success stories, best experienced from Mokuti. We host the world's largest population of free-roaming cheetahs and the critically endangered black rhinoceros, both thriving in Etosha National Park, where our Mokuti property offers front-row seats to these magnificent creatures. These achievements represent hope for conservation efforts worldwide. Etosha National Park, with its five-thousand-square-kilometre pan visible from space, serves as a natural amphitheatre where wildlife miracles unfold daily. At Mokuti guests can also engage with the Hai//om people, a subgroup of the San, one of the world’s most ancient societies, through authentic bushwalks that provide intimate access to their ancestral knowledge and rich cultural traditions.

Beyond our current properties, Namibia offers even more uniqueness which makes this country truly worth visiting. The spectacular Fish River Canyon, Africa's largest canyon, stretches 161 kilometres long and plunges 550 meters deep, offering perspectives that challenge human comprehension. Visitors can witness desert-adapted elephants, lions, giraffes and rhinoceros thriving in seemingly impossible conditions. While we don't have properties in these areas yet, who knows what the future holds? All of Namibia’s remarkable natural wonders continue to showcase why this country remains one of the world's most extraordinary travel experiences and why joining our Leisure Club opens doors to discovering a destination that will forever change how you see the world.

My personal passion for sharing Namibia extends beyond business objectives. Having witnessed firsthand how this country transforms everyone who truly experiences it, I believe we have a responsibility to make these encounters accessible. The recent introduction of streamlined e-visa systems and direct flight connections between major international hubs and Windhoek reflects our government's commitment to the tourism sector. It is, however, our role as hospitality leaders to ensure that once visitors arrive, they experience something truly transformative which, to us, means irreplaceable moments, every sunrise over the Namib dunes, every wildlife encounter in Etosha, Kavango or Chobe and every moment of stargazing at Midgard.

I invite you to join our Leisure Club today and experience Namibia through our eyes.